The Prairie Homestead I designate one “zone” of the house to be cleaned daily. With sandy east Texas soil sweeping/vacuuming has to be done daily but each room becomes a zone making it easier to accomplish. We homeschool. Have a beginning homestead and are vloggers. Top that off with my husband working away from home for over a week at a time the majority of the work falls onto my shoulders. We also do morning homestead chores, then breakfasts with family bible study, then room tidying before homeschooling time; after that it’s outdoor play/discovery. While the kids do that I catch up- a load of laundry, washing dishes.
First tip that came to mind is not taking on too many projects at once 😊 This was 100% me our first year homesteading! Since then I've learned what amount I can handle that still keeps it fun and rewarding...mama can only do so much lol! ❤️
@@largefamilyruralliving7434 I try to. Some days it means a bit later start to our homeschooling routine. The great thing about homeschooling is the flexibility.
Thanks for addressing the time-management topic. A resource that's made a big impact on us is Matt Perman's "What's Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done." A helpful quote from the book reads, "While efficiency is important, it is secondary. More important than efficiency is effectiveness - getting the right things done. Efficiency doesn’t matter if you are doing the wrong things in the first place.” It's far too easy to mistake busyness with fruitfulness.
Time management is big in Real Estate. I'm so happy to have watched this and hearing you say what you said. Prioritizing is so important, especially if you have a full schedule. I talk to my friends about wanting this change in my life and they are shocked at this age, I intend to do homesteading. I have written my goals and the things I want to accomplish and I will do them one by one, slowly and it will be something I feel I can do. Being outdoors is the only thing I want and having chickens and ducks would be great to start with. My grandchildren will be able to visit as well and they live in the city. I want them to know what it's like to be closer to your animals and feel great when you can walk out and pick up vegies, fruit from your own garden. I have gone through a lot of things in my life and just to be a bit more sustainable will make me feel great at my age. This is a great vid for people to watch and understand that it's not someone else that you do it for. It's for you, your family, your future, health and the love of life. Sometimes going to town isn't as great as watching one of your animals give birth or just sitting out watching the sun go down and see the stars shine in the sky. Thanks again! Love the vids....Anna Banana smiling!
I just found your channel. My husband has a high interest in moving to Wyoming and it’s growing on me as well but he most likely will continue working at his current job remotely so not able to help much. I already homeschool, raise chickens and grow a decent sized garden which I preserve but the idea of taking on more animals like cows, ducks and pigs has me scratching my head as to how I’ll manage it. Thanks for being honest and realistic. Not everyone on YT does that.
As we did our homesteading and homeschooled. The socialization was all amongst ourselves and then the store when we went into town and church. On the occasions when we ate out it was a good time too. They grew as their own little people and know where there food comes from. They helped in the garden. Now that they are adults I do more greenhouse work at home and quilting. Life changes and you adapt. Purpose filled is a good life. Thanks for sharing.
I learned the hard way that cheaper isn’t always cheaper. We tried making our own heated waters for the chickens to save money but they still froze and once we finally bought a heated one, it was a game changer. With my goats, I wanted to keep them mobile so we could rotate pastures. I still believe in this, but temporary pastures and moving goats took every single weekend and I started resenting it. Eventually we sold the goats. Now we have two cows and we put up a permanent perimeter fence and will have permanent pastures made with electric poly wire. So. Much. Easier. Moving animals closer to the house during winter so things are more convenient was also a blessing (and one big bonus of all the animals having mobile shelters) Now that we are considering a barn, we plan for it to be fairly close to the house as well.
I LOVE this Jill. We are very similar to your family at our homestead. My husband is an eye doctor, I work one day per week as an esthetician, we homeschool, and live on our 20 acre homestead. We don’t beat ourselves up. God has so richly blessed us and we try to honor those blessings, but homesteading s not a religion to us.😂❤️🙏 Love your channel, thank you so much for being “ real”. Oh and by the way, our chicken house is much grosser than yours!😂❤️👩🌾🐔🐣🍳🥖🍞🌽🍋
Loved this! Thanks for being so real! We started homeschooling and homesteading. One day, hopefully we'll have a home business although I don't know what it will be yet. I love what you said about not having balance, and it's the first time I've heard it put that way. Makes me feel a lot better!! I will say, I've gotten way better at saying no, and then not feeling guilty about it. My kids are not going to die or anything if we don't have a bazillion outings or sports. Extended family and friends are loved, but I can't drop everything for dinner or travelling to see family all the time, even if some are closer. We have some hardcore goals that are valuable to us (even if they seem crazy to others), and I've stopped apologizing for them. 😊
I love your down to earth, common sense, and you gave wonderful advice. 'keeping balance seasonally...while keeping laser focus on goals'.. makes so much sense & relieves the pressure of unrealistic expectations. My time management is the same really ...just a different life style. I have to give myself specific times of the day to accomplish things, shut off electronics (a real time dump)...be out watering/feeding/gardening or shopping errands at certain times (with some flexibility but a general time) or I can find myself wasting my day with things I love - but then I don't get chores done. That goes for projects too. You are amazing to include raising children and homeschooling as well!
Just found your channel, and I really liked the tips you discussed in this video. You just got a new subscriber! The tip that stuck out to me is to say no to things that don't further your goals. It took me a long time to figure that out for myself, and I'm so glad that I did. I am drawn to homesteading because while I'm not a homesteader by any stretch, I love the drive to be self-sufficient and independent. That same goal is what drove me to start my channel on building financial independence. Good luck on your journey! And I will be staying tuned for more updates!
YES to this video!!! We live on 4 acres with goats, chickens & rabbits plus 1 acre for gardening. I literally didn't garden ONE thing this year! I took the whole year off because I needed a break, especially being pregnant with baby #4. People were asking me where I went on social media because I hadn't posted anything new about the farm & I just had to say I was taking a break. And that's OK. So what if we bought store food all year...that just makes me even more excited to get back at it next year with more passion! :D
I absolutely love your outlook on time management! I thought telling people NO most of the time was a bad thing but its kept me focused and sane lol!!!! As a single mother of 3 and so much on my plate, time management is essential!!!! ❤
Howdy Jill! I'm a homesteader in Montana so i suppose that means we're neighbors! I've been following your blog on and off for the past couple years and just found you on UA-cam and have been binge watching your videos. What you said about balance and seasons really resonated with me as balance is something that I've been trying to obtain for a while. Thank you for your words of wisdom and insight. I feel like a load has been lifted off my shoulders. Balance is ideal but depending on the season, doesn't always happen and that's ok! I'm going to keep watching more of your videos now:)
Loved this style of video Jill, all great advice! 😊 Like you we have small children, a homestead, and are self employed business owners. It's absolute chaos sometimes! But, being able to support ourselves (like you said, with lots of grit and determination!)... is so absolutely worth it! ❤️
Hey that's our intro sting 🤣 thanks for sharing that. I needed that today!! Since hubby took an outside job I'm scrambling around. Seasons are such a better way to think of things and so practical! I never know what to say when people ask me how I do it all 😂😂 my undone list is huge!! Trying to get better at saying no here.
I still struggle saying no... I hate disappointing people. I heard someone once say that saying no to one thing just means you're saying 'yes' to something else. (like you're family, or your sanity) I like that perspective.
@@theprairiehomestead that's one of my favorite quotes and I'm trying to always remind myself of it!! Especially as we focus on a home based business and saying no to outside events. Gives me more time to dedicate to our special needs kiddos.
Great advice! I have 8 are home and we homeschool. It’s definitely never balanced lol. I will feel accomplished if I can manage to successfully grow food! Our attempts have this far have been a flop. 😊
That was a great video, thanks. I have a really hard time with time management because of my personality type and not as goal driven. We are needing to re-evaluate the whats and whys, we were very overwhelmed this summer. Do you build Rest into your week. I have a hard time with that.
Hi Jill! I wasn't sure where to ask you this, but since you guys were city kids turned country, how did you learn to ride horses and own them? My dream is to do the same thing you did in buying a farm and learning how to raise animals, no matter how much hard work is involved. BUT, if you lived in the city like I do, how do you learn to take care of the cows and horses?
Hi Gretchen! I actually have loved horses since childhood, and saved up my pennies and bought my first horse when I was 14 (we had to board it elsewhere since we didn't have property). So I've been riding since then. However, if you currently live in town, I think the best way you can start to get experience is to volunteer-- I did that a bunch as a teenager and even young adult and it was crucial. I shadowed, volunteered, and did lots of dirty work and it gave me access to some amazing learning experiences. :)
How do you quell the crazy as a homesteader? I wanna hear your best homestead time management tips!
The Prairie Homestead I designate one “zone” of the house to be cleaned daily. With sandy east Texas soil sweeping/vacuuming has to be done daily but each room becomes a zone making it easier to accomplish. We homeschool. Have a beginning homestead and are vloggers. Top that off with my husband working away from home for over a week at a time the majority of the work falls onto my shoulders. We also do morning homestead chores, then breakfasts with family bible study, then room tidying before homeschooling time; after that it’s outdoor play/discovery. While the kids do that I catch up- a load of laundry, washing dishes.
@@ThatDalyLife I LOOOOOVE this idea! Sounds like you guys have just as much on your plates as we do :)
First tip that came to mind is not taking on too many projects at once 😊 This was 100% me our first year homesteading! Since then I've learned what amount I can handle that still keeps it fun and rewarding...mama can only do so much lol! ❤️
@@ThatDalyLife do you start the day pretty early? I don't think I could fit that in in a morning, though it sounds great
@@largefamilyruralliving7434 I try to. Some days it means a bit later start to our homeschooling routine. The great thing about homeschooling is the flexibility.
Thanks for addressing the time-management topic. A resource that's made a big impact on us is Matt Perman's "What's Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done." A helpful quote from the book reads, "While efficiency is important, it is secondary. More important than efficiency is effectiveness - getting the right things done. Efficiency doesn’t matter if you are doing the wrong things in the first place.” It's far too easy to mistake busyness with fruitfulness.
Time management is big in Real Estate. I'm so happy to have watched this and hearing you say what you said. Prioritizing is so important, especially if you have a full schedule. I talk to my friends about wanting this change in my life and they are shocked at this age, I intend to do homesteading. I have written my goals and the things I want to accomplish and I will do them one by one, slowly and it will be something I feel I can do. Being outdoors is the only thing I want and having chickens and ducks would be great to start with. My grandchildren will be able to visit as well and they live in the city. I want them to know what it's like to be closer to your animals and feel great when you can walk out and pick up vegies, fruit from your own garden. I have gone through a lot of things in my life and just to be a bit more sustainable will make me feel great at my age. This is a great vid for people to watch and understand that it's not someone else that you do it for. It's for you, your family, your future, health and the love of life. Sometimes going to town isn't as great as watching one of your animals give birth or just sitting out watching the sun go down and see the stars shine in the sky. Thanks again! Love the vids....Anna Banana smiling!
I just found your channel. My husband has a high interest in moving to Wyoming and it’s growing on me as well but he most likely will continue working at his current job remotely so not able to help much. I already homeschool, raise chickens and grow a decent sized garden which I preserve but the idea of taking on more animals like cows, ducks and pigs has me scratching my head as to how I’ll manage it. Thanks for being honest and realistic. Not everyone on YT does that.
As we did our homesteading and homeschooled. The socialization was all amongst ourselves and then the store when we went into town and church. On the occasions when we ate out it was a good time too. They grew as their own little people and know where there food comes from. They helped in the garden. Now that they are adults I do more greenhouse work at home and quilting. Life changes and you adapt. Purpose filled is a good life. Thanks for sharing.
I agree Rebecca-- purpose filled is a good life
I love GRACE and I thank God for His Grace daily!
Thank you for sharing!
Amen!
I was going to say the same exact same thing. God’s Grace gets me through each day! Hard work, but God’s Grace is what helps me make it!
I learned the hard way that cheaper isn’t always cheaper. We tried making our own heated waters for the chickens to save money but they still froze and once we finally bought a heated one, it was a game changer.
With my goats, I wanted to keep them mobile so we could rotate pastures. I still believe in this, but temporary pastures and moving goats took every single weekend and I started resenting it. Eventually we sold the goats. Now we have two cows and we put up a permanent perimeter fence and will have permanent pastures made with electric poly wire. So. Much. Easier. Moving animals closer to the house during winter so things are more convenient was also a blessing (and one big bonus of all the animals having mobile shelters)
Now that we are considering a barn, we plan for it to be fairly close to the house as well.
Totally agree to this-- so many times it's best just to invest slightly more in the beginning!
I LOVE this Jill. We are very similar to your family at our homestead.
My husband is an eye doctor, I work one day per week as an esthetician, we homeschool, and live on our 20 acre homestead. We don’t beat ourselves up. God has so richly blessed us and we try to honor those blessings, but homesteading s not a religion to us.😂❤️🙏
Love your channel, thank you so much for being “ real”. Oh and by the way, our chicken house is much grosser than yours!😂❤️👩🌾🐔🐣🍳🥖🍞🌽🍋
Loved this! Thanks for being so real!
We started homeschooling and homesteading. One day, hopefully we'll have a home business although I don't know what it will be yet. I love what you said about not having balance, and it's the first time I've heard it put that way. Makes me feel a lot better!! I will say, I've gotten way better at saying no, and then not feeling guilty about it. My kids are not going to die or anything if we don't have a bazillion outings or sports. Extended family and friends are loved, but I can't drop everything for dinner or travelling to see family all the time, even if some are closer. We have some hardcore goals that are valuable to us (even if they seem crazy to others), and I've stopped apologizing for them. 😊
Amen! And yes-- it's definitely a process of give and take, huh?
The Prairie Homestead - Most definitely. 😊
Excellent advice! Thanks! My best advice is focus on what you're good at and outsource as much of the rest as possible....because you can't do it all.
I love your down to earth, common sense, and you gave wonderful advice. 'keeping balance seasonally...while keeping laser focus on goals'.. makes so much sense & relieves the pressure of unrealistic expectations. My time management is the same really ...just a different life style. I have to give myself specific times of the day to accomplish things, shut off electronics (a real time dump)...be out watering/feeding/gardening or shopping errands at certain times (with some flexibility but a general time) or I can find myself wasting my day with things I love - but then I don't get chores done. That goes for projects too. You are amazing to include raising children and homeschooling as well!
Just found your channel, and I really liked the tips you discussed in this video. You just got a new subscriber! The tip that stuck out to me is to say no to things that don't further your goals. It took me a long time to figure that out for myself, and I'm so glad that I did. I am drawn to homesteading because while I'm not a homesteader by any stretch, I love the drive to be self-sufficient and independent. That same goal is what drove me to start my channel on building financial independence. Good luck on your journey! And I will be staying tuned for more updates!
YES to this video!!! We live on 4 acres with goats, chickens & rabbits plus 1 acre for gardening. I literally didn't garden ONE thing this year! I took the whole year off because I needed a break, especially being pregnant with baby #4. People were asking me where I went on social media because I hadn't posted anything new about the farm & I just had to say I was taking a break. And that's OK. So what if we bought store food all year...that just makes me even more excited to get back at it next year with more passion! :D
YES-- it is SO okay to just take a break sometimes! So much better than burnout.
I absolutely love your outlook on time management! I thought telling people NO most of the time was a bad thing but its kept me focused and sane lol!!!! As a single mother of 3 and so much on my plate, time management is essential!!!! ❤
Howdy Jill! I'm a homesteader in Montana so i suppose that means we're neighbors! I've been following your blog on and off for the past couple years and just found you on UA-cam and have been binge watching your videos. What you said about balance and seasons really resonated with me as balance is something that I've been trying to obtain for a while. Thank you for your words of wisdom and insight. I feel like a load has been lifted off my shoulders. Balance is ideal but depending on the season, doesn't always happen and that's ok! I'm going to keep watching more of your videos now:)
Loved this style of video Jill, all great advice! 😊 Like you we have small children, a homestead, and are self employed business owners. It's absolute chaos sometimes! But, being able to support ourselves (like you said, with lots of grit and determination!)... is so absolutely worth it! ❤️
Hey that's our intro sting 🤣 thanks for sharing that. I needed that today!! Since hubby took an outside job I'm scrambling around. Seasons are such a better way to think of things and so practical! I never know what to say when people ask me how I do it all 😂😂 my undone list is huge!! Trying to get better at saying no here.
I still struggle saying no... I hate disappointing people. I heard someone once say that saying no to one thing just means you're saying 'yes' to something else. (like you're family, or your sanity) I like that perspective.
@@theprairiehomestead that's one of my favorite quotes and I'm trying to always remind myself of it!! Especially as we focus on a home based business and saying no to outside events. Gives me more time to dedicate to our special needs kiddos.
I like your realism. It’s refreshing.
PS I asked for your book for mother’s day! Love love it. I could have written your intro. Totally with you.
Yesss to all of this!
Great advice! I have 8 are home and we homeschool. It’s definitely never balanced lol. I will feel accomplished if I can manage to successfully grow food! Our attempts have this far have been a flop. 😊
Ditto! Homeschooler, beginning homesteader here too. And my husband is chief of staff and emerg doc at local hospital. Carpe diem!!
Very proud of you guys 😎
This is so true. Ty for this 😁
Well said! Not everything has to be piterest perfect all the time. :)
Excellent!!!!!
That was a great video, thanks. I have a really hard time with time management because of my personality type and not as goal driven. We are needing to re-evaluate the whats and whys, we were very overwhelmed this summer. Do you build Rest into your week. I have a hard time with that.
Hi Jill! I wasn't sure where to ask you this, but since you guys were city kids turned country, how did you learn to ride horses and own them? My dream is to do the same thing you did in buying a farm and learning how to raise animals, no matter how much hard work is involved. BUT, if you lived in the city like I do, how do you learn to take care of the cows and horses?
Hi Gretchen! I actually have loved horses since childhood, and saved up my pennies and bought my first horse when I was 14 (we had to board it elsewhere since we didn't have property). So I've been riding since then. However, if you currently live in town, I think the best way you can start to get experience is to volunteer-- I did that a bunch as a teenager and even young adult and it was crucial. I shadowed, volunteered, and did lots of dirty work and it gave me access to some amazing learning experiences. :)
How is your home school schedule like